[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-became-the-patron-of-villains":3,"chapter-became-the-patron-of-villains-became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-250":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Became the Patron of Villains",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},759740,1006,"Chapter 250","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-250",250,"\u003Cp>A confused silence settled over Alon and Penia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia instinctively rolled her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon likewise stayed silent without saying much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't so much an intentional silence as it was simply not knowing what to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although they had just escaped from the strange gate, they weren't completely clueless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon could easily figure out what was going on here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>......No, in fact, anyone would have noticed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon shifted his gaze to look at the coffins lined up behind Evan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each of the three coffins had portraits of Alon, Penia, and Rine placed on them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was hard to breathe in this suffocating atmosphere, and they could only stay silent for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......Marquis???”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Evan's voice, filled with disbelief, Alon paused to think about what to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......It's been a while.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He greeted him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>......His first words after returning to the original timeline were an awkward greeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The atmosphere in the funeral hall became incredibly awkward upon realizing that Alon and Penia had returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But only for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......Marquis, I’m so glad, but we need to move immediately.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Me too. That's a relief. I was wondering what to do, but this should make controlling Kalpha a bit easier.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......I’ve caused trouble.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, not at all. Just the fact that you’ve returned is such a relief—if you had really passed away, things wouldn’t have gone well. ......Truly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then, let’s talk more in detail next time we meet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duke Altia and Count Zenonia quickly left after expressing their relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s been a while, Saint.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Truly, truly thank goodness. Brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following them, Saint Yuman of Rosario looked at Alon with deep emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon scratched his head with an awkward expression beneath his blank face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Somehow, I seem to have caused you concern.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not at all. The fact that you’re back—really, it’s such a relief.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuman, nodding repeatedly as if truly relieved, tightly grabbed Alon’s hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon looked slightly puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, he had realized that the Saint had gone out of his way to help him last time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But still, he didn’t expect someone to cry over his death like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He found it surprising, even puzzling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, you should rest for a while. I’ve treated your major wounds already.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After treating Alon, Yuman briefly left the tent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shortly after.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it really you, Marquis...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan, who had been staring at Alon in a daze like he’d seen a ghost, finally spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do I look like a fake to you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......No, it’s just, I can’t believe it. Didn’t you disappear with that monster? What on earth happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon pondered how to explain, then decided to ask a question first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll explain later, when it’s just the two of us. This isn’t something to talk about in front of everyone. More importantly—how much time has passed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he asked, Alon noticed Penia in the distance, talking earnestly with Celaime Mikardo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan, still curious about Alon's whereabouts, answered first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Three months have passed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......Three months?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......Three whole months?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. You had completely vanished without a trace for three months.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unexpected passage of time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon calmly calculated how much time had passed while he was in the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If I roughly estimate it, that sounds about right. Did time flow almost 1:1 between here and the past? No, that still feels a bit strange.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Alon had understood Penia correctly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He should have returned not to now, but to three months ago, the moment he got sucked into the beast’s maw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s the time Penia remembered from the strange gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Well, since I came back without much of a time gap, it’s not a big deal.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he returned two or three years later instead of a few months, things would’ve been much more troublesome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon let out a small sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So then, my first priority should be to go to Greynifra.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of Rine, he started planning his next steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Evan asked as if he'd been waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, Marquis, where is Rine?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was just about to go bring her back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......? You’re going to bring her back?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t you go in together?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s something like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan’s face shifted from confusion to intense curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But eventually, he nodded as if he had no choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still, I’m glad you’re back, Marquis. Honestly, you came back at the perfect time—might be just enough to prevent the world from falling apart.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......? Falling apart?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, right. I guess you wouldn’t know, Marquis.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan clapped a fist into his palm and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon raised a brow in confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“While you were away for three months, a lot of things happened.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......What kinds of things?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, Colony and Ashtalon are on the brink of war.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“... ...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, and Caliban and Ashtalon too. Also on the verge of war.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“....??”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And, Raksas is throwing a fit saying they’ll go to war with Ashtalon as well...... though Ashtalon’s been the only one getting beaten up so far.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan’s report was completely unexpected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>......In Psychedelia, the allied kingdoms had never fought each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon, deep in thought, recalled what Evan had said earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Still, I’m glad you’re back, Marquis. Honestly, you came back at the perfect time—might be just enough to prevent the world from falling apart.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if this situation had occurred because of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon asked, just to be sure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just checking, Evan. All the stuff you just mentioned......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, just as you guessed, it all happened because you disappeared, Marquis.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“???”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Words that made no sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon instinctively pointed to himself and asked again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......Because of me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, because of you, Marquis.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......Really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. If you hadn’t come back, we’d probably be at war by now......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With almost 100%, no—150% certainty, Evan stated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon raised the same finger he’d pointed with and silently clutched his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how he thought about it, he couldn’t begin to understand how things had gotten to this point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And to make it worse—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah, and I think you should check on Seolrang’s condition right away too. Right now... something seems seriously wrong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that added bit of news—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘......What on earth is going on????’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon's mind grew even more tangled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The 'dragon' slowly lifted its head, thinking that the end was near.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What came into view was Suin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beastkin with golden hair— in just a little more time, she would be completely devoured and become a small sacrifice for the greater cause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It hadn't expected things to turn out this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the deep, dark abyss where Suin could not see, it thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, when the Apostle had first fallen, it had intended to abandon Suin’s body without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no doubt her body was highly desirable—perfect for descent, and undoubtedly well-suited to wield its power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, she was an ideal vessel for sacrifice in the name of the cause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even so, the reason it had tried to give up on Suin’s body was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because there was no place inside her ‘heart’ for it to enter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These beings must usually feed on broken minds, gnawing away at them and gradually taking over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Suin’s mind, which should have shattered from the Apostle’s influence, had remained completely intact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>......So intact, in fact, that even arrogance had no way of slipping through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s more, it had even lost the Apostle by then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So it had decided to give up on Suin and seek out another vessel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was—until just recently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From within the endless abyss, it began to observe Suin’s mental state again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was now endlessly unstable—only a few more whispers away from collapsing entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dragon couldn’t comprehend why Suin’s state had changed so much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last time, her willpower had been so strong there wasn’t a single crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, even without it doing anything, her mind was steadily collapsing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a flower wilting over time, she was falling apart naturally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the dragon watched the girl’s body it had once given up on for just a little longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And eventually, recently, it had gotten results.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had already managed to share some of its power with Suin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant—she was becoming more and more ideal for descent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the dragon, now elated, calmly observed her mind as it continued to be dyed by the abyss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And finally, today—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Child, do you not desire more power?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It spoke to Suin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the dragon’s eyes, her mind was now in perfect condition for possession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twisted beyond repair, to the point where it no longer needed to hide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......I don’t need it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Why do you say that? Don’t you want revenge?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......Revenge?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Yes, against the world that made you this way. Don’t you want to get back at those who killed what was precious to you?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suin’s pupils trembled violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching this, the dragon grinned wickedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whenever the girl heard mention of her ‘precious one’, her mind would waver terribly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had even transferred power to her once before, using that memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling the weakness that could move her, it kept whispering persistently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......I already got my revenge.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The revenge isn’t over.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......Why not?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[To begin with, if the others hadn’t let your precious one die, none of this would’ve happened.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Other people?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Yes, other people. You should take revenge on them too. It’s their fault for failing to protect what was dear to you.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a sweet whisper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...............Such a wicked whisper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now even the corners of Suin’s eyes began to quiver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that, the dragon crawled out of the abyss without hesitation and\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Materialized in front of Suin—Seolrang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had to be cautious, as materializing again would require much time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the dragon was sure of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the only moment when possession would succeed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Come. Let me help you. Accept me, and you can kill them all—those who failed to protect what was dear to you—]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, without hesitation, it revealed itself, smiling viciously as it opened its mouth—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lady Seolrang!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—But could not finish its sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[······.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sudden interruption left the dragon uneasy, but it soon smiled again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if someone had interfered, Seolrang’s gaze was still fixed on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the dragon tried once more to speak—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Marquis, the Marquis is alive!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the cry of the girl who burst through the door,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dull, lifeless eyes that had been staring at the dragon as if she were dead— began to regain their light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her dim golden irises started to shine brilliantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her drooping tail swayed, and her limp ears perked up toward the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“R-Really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes! He’s on his way here right now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the girl confirmed it again, Seolrang’s eyes widened in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in that moment, the dragon saw it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spirit that had been buried in the abyss— was being restored at an absurd rate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[W-Wait! That’s a lie! Just a lie meant to deceive you—]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dragon tried to shout in panic,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Masterrrrrrr~!!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before it could say anything—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crash!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seolrang shattered the window and bolted out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[······.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Left all alone, the dragon stared dumbly at the broken window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[······????]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its expression was one of disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[......What the hell. Was that.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only its strangely pitiful voice echoed through the space.\u003C\u002Fp>",1876,"2026-06-02T12:43:45.413Z",1,"novelbin.me","2c41330d97c850e4cad7652c084b9cc749d942dff8ba60f920b952ef13c1f985","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-301","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-249",479,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbecame-the-patron-of-villains-cover.jpg"]